The Heat Plays Tricks on the Mind
by Calcitrix
Summary: Dusty and Lady Jaye are captured, and Mindbender just happens to need test subjects. Will they break? Now Complete!
1. Default Chapter

The air shimmered with heat, blurring contours and fading everything in sight. There was no wind to raise the sand from the desert floor, and yet powdery sand managed to pervade the dry air. Dusty, G.I. Joe desert survivalist, was at his wit's end. He and his teammate had come to Egypt to find out about Cobra's latest threat, and after nearly a week combing the Libyan Desert, they hadn't seen a thing. Intel wasn't normally this far off; they knew there _had_ to be something out here.

Dusty sighed and sat back down. He and Lady Jaye were resting under a small canvas shade. It was the hottest part of the day; moving on would be impossible until the sun started to sink. He observed his partner warily out of the corner of his eyes. She _seemed_ to be doing okay in the heat. Her face was a bit red, and like him she was covered in dust and sweat. He had made sure they kept hydrated and out of the worst sun. She hadn't slowed down so far. But if he was feeling it, she must be, too—and probably worse.

He remembered the time that she had refused to back down during one of Beach Head's PT exercises. Beach had kept her late- hours past the others- running the obstacle course over and over again. Duke tried to step in, but Lady Jaye wouldn't let him. She had finally satisfied the crotchety drill sergeant and was allowed to leave; although she had walked away with her head held high, she hadn't quite made it back to her quarters before collapsing in the hallway.

_Stubborn. Definitely stubborn, _Dusty thought_. Of course, no one on the team is likely to back down from much. I guess we're just a pack of mule-heads._ He smiled, and to kill time tried to invent a sliding scale to rate the comparative stubbornness of his teammates.

Some time later he snapped awake. Had he been dreaming? He felt the ground humming underneath him and scanned the immediate area. Nothing. Lady Jaye had also fallen asleep, and was tossing restlessly. _Shit. Can't believe we let our guard down like that_, he berated himself. He used his binoculars to widen his scope; there was nothing in any direction but sand. _What is making that noise, then?_ He wondered. "Jaye, you awake? Check this out."

She moaned and slowly opened her eyes. "Ugh, Dusty, what is it?" She stood shakily to join him outside the shelter.

"Don't know. You feel anyth—"

There was a huge roar, and the desert exploded around them. They were both flung to the ground and carried along by a wave of sand. It was like being in an avalanche. Sand filled their eyes, noses, ears, mouths. Dusty tried to protect his head, but it was impossible to do anything but be hurled along. He only had time to think_ What the hell! Sand doesn't move like this! _Before he blacked out and knew no more.

Waking up was a long and painful process. Dusty's throat felt raw; his skin burned where patches had been abraded right through his clothing. He couldn't even open his eyes until he scraped at the sand coating the outside. Not that it made a difference. It was completely dark. He gave his eyes a moment to adjust, but the gloom remained the same.

At least he could tell some things about his surroundings. The floor was stone, cool and wet. He must be very deep undergound, then—not many places in a desert lack light, heat, and dryness. He sat up slowly. Other than a slight increase in the pounding in his head, the movement caused no pain. He checked for his water bottle, but found that it had been ripped from his belt.

_Time to explore_, he thought. Stretching his hands out carefully, he moved slowly forward. He encountered a wall almost immediately. Following it to the left, Dusty made a circuit of his surroundings. When he thought he was nearly back to the beginning, his hands encountered something other than stone. Cloth. Hair. Skin.

"Lady Jaye?" Dusty croaked. He repeated himself more loudly. Nothing. He groped blindly until he found her arm. Her pulse was weak but steady. He moved his fingers to her earlobe and pinched it, hard. Nothing. No verbal response, no pain response. Not a good sign. She was out. He sat down against the wall and waited.

As his other senses adjusted to make up for lack of sight, Dusty became aware of noises around him, seeming to come from all directions. There was a steady low keening, like an injured wild animal; the repetitive, heavy thump of something hitting stone; an occasional high-pitched scream that was choked off after a few seconds. It made him shiver. After an indeterminate time-- it was impossible to keep track—he heard new noises in the distance. A soft scraping against the stone, and something that could only be footsteps, approaching nearer. He tried to stand, and nearly fell flat on his face. He succeeded on the second attempt, but had to lean against the wall to stay upright.

The footsteps seemed to stop nearby; Dusty thought his eyes and ears were playing tricks on him. But no—there was a faint glow of light that revealed the edges of a door in his cell. And he definitely heard another door being opened nearby. It slammed shut again with a boom, making him jump. The footsteps started to recede, then stopped.

"How about some water?" Dusty screamed. He wasn't sure he could be heard through the stone, but whoever was nearby seemed to respond. The footsteps approached again. He heard a the clink of something metallic—keys?—and the door swung slowly open.

Dusty's eyes watered in the sudden bloom of light. He blinked furiously, glad at least that the last of the sand was being washed out, even if it was at the expense of his system's precious moisture. The figure bathed in light hadn't moved, except for a slight tilting of the head as it examined Dusty. "Ah. Yes, of course the Joes would send you. A lot of good it did them, though, eh?" The man laughed, and Dusty knew him immediately. Dr. Mindbender.

"Well, Joe," Mindbender continued. "I might as well show you what I'm doing, now that you're awake." He scanned Lady Jaye's form on the stone floor. "Is she dead?" He asked.

Dusty gritted his teeth. Could he get away with lying? He tried. "Yes, you bastard! And you're gonna pay for it, big time!" Whether it was the tears still streaming from his abused eyes, or just the way he said it, Mindbender seemed to believe him. The man nodded. "Too bad. I'm running an experiment just now. I haven't had any female vict-- er, volunteers yet. Oh, well. I suppose you can always… assist me."

The tone of voice made Dusty's blood run cold. No one who experienced the ministrations of this sick man ever forgot about it. He just hoped he could keep something back once the torture started.

Mindbender trained a small gun on Dusty. _Yeah, like I could tackle anything tougher than the Easter Bunny right now_, Dusty thought to himself, inventorying his numerous small injuries. He followed the doctor into the hallway. The other cells looked much like his, but the ones on the opposite wall had large barred windows in the doors.

Mindbender motioned Dusty to approach one of the windows. "Have a look. These pathetic troopers were given to me last week after… upsetting… Cobra Commander." He smiled evilly. "My supply never seems to run out. Of course, it doesn't take much to slip up in front of the Commander."

Mindbender kept up a running commentary as Dusty looked inside the first cell. A man in a Cobra uniform lay on the floor, unconscious. He cast a questioning glance toward Mindbender, who shrugged. "Well, I just brought him down here," the doctor responded. "There's not much to see now, but wait until he wakes up. Why don't you check the other cells?" The smile, if possible, grew even more chilling.

Dusty most certainly did NOT want to see the state of the other victims. He knew it was all part of the procedure-- getting him scared ahead of time so that he would break more easily. He stood his ground until Mindbender prodded him with the barrel of the gun.

He approached the next window. The occupant, Dusty now realized, was the source of the short, ragged screams he had heard from his own cell. It was another Cobra trooper. This man looked like he had been here longer; his clothes were ragged and his face was dirty and unshaven. The man was staring into nothing, eyes wide and unblinking. Every few moments, another scream would start and end abruptly. Dusty regarded him with horror. What was the man seeing?

"Keep going. There are two more cells to visit," Mindbender prompted.

Dusty couldn't help himself. He shuffled farther down the hallway to the next door. The low and constant animal-like wail was emanating from this cell. Dusty swallowed hard, and looked in. He gasped in shock. It was apparent from the marks, and the blood, that this man had tried to literally claw his own eyes out. "A shame, really," Mindbender commented. "He was only hooked up to the machine for six hours. I thought he'd last longer than that." Dusty stared at the Doctor, completely repulsed. "Yes, a shame," the doctor continued, "He cost me a hundred dollars in the betting pool."

Dusty lost it. "Your own men--! You are one sick piece of work! Damn you!" He stepped toward the man, fully intending to take him down in any way possible. Mindbender simply stepped back, raising the gun. But Dusty didn't care. He took another step, and Mindbender's finger started to squeeze the trigger. What saved Dusty's life was an uneven stone in the floor. He toppled forward, landing in a heap at Mindbender's feet.

The evil man simply laughed. "A bit dehydrated, hmmm? Ha! You can barely stand up! To think you dared threaten me!" Mindbender roughly hauled Dusty to his feet. "Now. Last cell." He dragged Dusty to the last door and threw him against the bars.

Dusty barely caught himself. He raised his head and gazed into the small prison. At first he couldn't see anyone. But—there was the noise again. The repetitive, dull knocking. Dusty zeroed in on the sound. What he saw made him retch. In the back corner, a Cobra trooper was kneeling, facing the wall of his cell. The man had his hands braced on the stones, and his eyes shut tight. Every few seconds, he very deliberately brought his forehead to the wall with a sickening thud of flesh hitting stone. What Dusty hadn't been able to hear from his own cell, though, was the man's voice. It was barely a whisper, a hoarse monotone. "Oh, god, no…please…" THUD. "Oh god, no…please…" THUD.

Dusty's knees finally gave way. His hands were no longer gripping the bars of the window. He felt himself fall to the stone floor. As he lost consciousness, he could hear Dr. Mindbender's laughter in the background.


	2. The Machine

For the second time in 24 hours, Dusty grappled toward consciousness. His eyes opened more easily this time, and saw immediately he wasn't in a stone cell. Unfortunately, he _was_ in Dr. Mindbender's lab. It wasn't just the scattered equipment that led him to that conclusion; it was the stench. A sickening miasma surrounded the machinery, lending as much to the atmosphere as the low-wattage light bulbs that were the only source of illumination.

Dusty groaned and tried to sit up. Unfortunately, he found he was shackled—wrists cuffed together, and then tied to his feet. He surveyed his surroundings more carefully. The room appeared to be deserted. No guards, no Mindbender. At least that was something. He wondered how long he had been out. Not that it mattered; he had long since lost track of time.

He rolled onto his stomach, and struggled to get into a low crouch. He couldn't move very fast, but managed a slow duck-walk toward a counter at the back of the room. Water was his first priority; lack of it was as inhibiting as the cuffs on his hands. It took several minutes, but the soldier managed to get a chair in front of the sink. He clambered up, reaching backwards for the faucet's handle. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard the splash of precious liquid into stainless steel.

He turned and started to duck his head toward the flow. The stench hit him again, more strongly. He closed his eyes and refused to look into the bottom of the sink.

Dusty managed to drink slowly at first, and let the first mouthfuls settle in his stomach before taking more. When he judged he had had enough, he awkwardly climbed back to the floor. He left the water running. Maybe it would cleanse away some of the smell. _What now_? He wondered. _I can't take on any guards tied like this._

Before he could decide on a course of action, the distinct sounds of an alarm pierced the stillness. He tensed, hidden in the shadows of the room. Nothing happened. No guards came. He waited.

The commotion was drawing closer, whatever it was. He could hear Mindbender's voice clearly above the din. "You have just earned yourself top billing in my show. The Commander wanted you executed immediately, but I convinced him my methods were…more satisfactory."

_He must be talking to Lady Jaye_, Dusty thought. _God I hope she did some damage before she was caught. _Then it hit him. The men he had seen in the cells… Mindbender was going to use the machine on her. The thought hit him like a blow to the stomach. And here he was, helpless.

Dusty pulled frantically at the ropes tying his feet. He twisted the metal cuffs on his wrists, and with a final desperate jerk separated the bonds. He had just managed to stand when Mindbender came into the room.

He was followed by two Crimson Guardsmen, each with a hand firmly locked around Lady Jaye's upper arms. "Go lagaí galar tógálach do thóin bheagmhaitheasach," she cursed, pulling at her captors.

She saw Dusty and froze. "You okay?" She asked him.

"So far. You?"

"Aside from the obvious, yes."

"Much as I would love to give you time for a little reunion," Mindbender interrupted, "I do have work waiting for me." He turned to Lady Jaye. "Namely, you."

She visibly paled; she was aware of his reputation. She put on a brave face. "I hope you work fast. The other Joes know your base's location now. They'll get us out well before you can get any information from me," she spat defiantly.

Mindbender merely smiled. "We'll see about that. Cobra Commander knows you contacted your team. He's anxiously awaiting their appearance, in fact."

Dusty took in this information with a sigh of relief. Lady Jaye must have gotten out of the cell some time ago. If she had managed to get to the communications center and contact the team, they might just survive this. The sickening thud of the Cobra Trooper's head against stone echoed in his mind. Doctor Mindbender had said the man had been attached to the machine for only six hours… How long would it take for the other Joes to get here?

The doctor started fiddling with a panel of controls nearby. "It's a shame you killed the guards at the communications area-- the Commander would have given them to me for sure after such an abysmal show of weakness. Not that he's overly happy with me for leaving your cell door open." He turned one last dial and faced Lady Jaye. "Either way, I still have a test subject."

Hands still shackled, Dusty could do little other than throw himself at the Doctor. "Jaye! Get out! Do whatever it takes!" He fell on top of Mindbender and rolled to the floor. Standing quickly, he saw his teammate bring her boot down on a captor's knee. The man crumpled, and Lady Jaye brought her free hand around to connect with the other guard's throat. He, too, fell in a heap.

Lady Jaye headed for the open doorway and Dusty followed. He managed only three steps before an arm closed over his throat from behind.

Mindbender's voice roared in his ear: "Stop! Your friend dies if you take another step!" Dusty felt a gun touch his temple.

"Run, Jaye!" He screamed, watching her hesitate. He closed his eyes. The shot didn't come.

His teammate had come back into the room, hands held in front of her in surrender. "Fine. You can hold us for now. We're still getting out of here today."

_Oh, God, she didn't understand. She didn't know what was about to happen._ "Jaye! Leave me, please!" He tried again.

The desperation in his voice obviously scared her, but she stood her ground. "Dusty, the other Joes are on their way. We'll be fine." She looked at him in concern, then spoke to Mindbender. "Put the gun away."

Dusty was shoved roughly to the ground. He watched helplessly as the recovering Crimson Guardsmen renewed their hold on Lady Jaye. She didn't struggle, but only glared at Mindbender defiantly.

Mindbender motioned to a table nearby. It was crisscrossed with straps and dangling wires. He then waved the gun at Dusty. "Into the cage in the corner of the room. You get to watch." The doctor's tone held wicked delight.

Dusty considered his chances. Getting shot wasn't going to help either of them. He walked through the opening in the bars; the door slammed shut behind him. He watched with despair as Lady Jaye allowed herself to be restrained on the table. She looked wary, but not frightened. Not yet.

_Please. Let her survive this_, Dusty prayed. _She was caught because of me. Let her be okay. _He continued this mantra as Mindbender supervised the administration of restraints.

When he was satisfied that everything was in place, the Doctor began to place small electrodes at Lady Jayes temples and wrists, humming tunelessly as he worked. She had closed her eyes and was breathing deeply, summoning calm, using the method taught to the team by Snake Eyes.

Mindbender finished and stepped back from the table. "I must boast about my work before I begin," he started. "Genius, even for me." He rubbed his hands together and explained his machine's origins.

"I have done extensive research into the brain's activity at the moment of death. It seems that the same set of neurons fires in a certain pattern, every time. This pattern only occurs at the moment that the body becomes aware of its condition; when the internal mechanisms begin to shut off, one by one.

"It took a bit of experimentation to replicate the pattern—the Commander kept me well supplied with 'volunteers'—but I succeeded." Mindbender stopped and leaned over Lady Jaye's inert form.

"This will have very little effect on you physically. Your brain, however… I am about to convince it that you are dying."

Lady Jaye's eyes widened as she took in the implications.

"I've had three men…survive…this treatment. They seem to have experienced much the same thing. The brain receives a signal that it is dying; it needs to supply a reason. It reacts…It tells the body that something horrible must be happening—basically it is being tricked into 'thinking' it is dying. And from the deep recesses of the subconscious, the brain dredges up a supply of nightmares and fears. The body remains intact, but the brain invents the details and supplies the pain to go with it. You will feel as though you are dying—every moment as real as if it were truly happening—in whatever manner your brain fears the most."

Dusty watched in horror as Lady Jaye finally began to struggle against her bonds. But it was too late. Mindbender walked to the bank of controls.

He paused in his narration long enough to give his captive one last malicious grin. "The Joes always seem to think they're braver than our own soldiers. Let's see how you stand up to your worst nightmares." He flipped a switch.

Dusty gritted his teeth, watching Lady Jaye's reaction. Her body stiffened, then relaxed. _Maybe it's not working,_ Dusty hoped. Then she began to scream.


	3. Her Worst Nightmares

She was standing on a battlefield. Smoke and noise surrounded her in a confusing swirl. _What-? How did I get here?_ She wondered. _We must be fighting Cobra; that's all I need to know. _She headed towards the nearest sounds.

The ground began to rise. As she neared the top of the small hill, she automatically reached for her weapon. The holster was empty. She crawled the last few yards and peered over the top.

What she saw before her made her heart jump and stomach sink. It was a scene of utter destruction. Bodies lay sprawled in graceless heaps across the scorched ground. Blood soaked into the grass in dark patches.

Lady Jaye stood, careless of her profile against the sky. She began to run, hoping that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She reached the first corpse. Bile rose in her throat as she recognized the uniform. Stalker. She felt tears build in her eyes.

Moving on to the next body, her mind began to feel numb with shock. Shipwreck. More bodies lay nearby. Lady Jaye choked back a sob. Cover Girl. Ace. Bazooka. Footloose. _This_ _is not happening, _she thought_. This can not be happening. _But the smell of blood was all too real.

The sound of voices snapped her out of it. She whirled around to see two men run out of a nearby stand of trees, followed by several Cobra Troopers. She bolted toward them. "Duke! Flint!" They turned at the sound of her voice. "What happened?" She asked as they neared each other.

"No time," Duke replied. They all turned to face the oncoming soldiers. Flint silently handed her a small gun, noticing that she was unarmed. He was also carrying what looked like a Cobra sniper rifle.

"Only three shots left. Careful." He met her gaze one last time. He raised his own weapon and sighted on one of the soldiers.

Duke and Flint began firing at the same time. Several Cobras fell, but more kept coming. She fired a shot of her own, all too aware that they were outgunned and outnumbered.

The soldiers in blue uniforms were dropping back, taking shelter behind the burned-out husks of equipment strewn across the field. They could afford to take their time.

Duke surveyed the situation. "Well. Guess this is it. I was honored to fight with both of you." The Cobra troops began to fire.

There was not much they could do. Lady Jaye was already out of ammunition. She prayed silently and waited.

Duke took a bullet in the center of his chest and went down. Before she could react, she felt the sting of a shot through the hip. She staggered, but remained on her feet.

Flint's gun fell silent, empty. He pushed Lady Jaye to the ground and moved between his teammates and the line of fire. And just stood there, protecting them in the only way he could now. _No!_ she wanted to yell_. Not you! I never told you…_ But it was too late for that now.

The first bullet hit him in the leg. He gritted his teeth. Two more took him in the knee and arm, and still he stood. Lady Jaye watched through a blur of tears as a barrage of fire tore through his stomach and chest.

_No!_ She cried silently as he finally fell. She reached out to him, and a flash of pain seared across her back. Bullet after bullet dug into her. She screamed. The pain was incredible. _Oh, God, just let me die! _she prayed, grasping Flint's still fingers in her own. She began to feel cold creep up through her legs, and it was difficult to breathe. _Let the pain end. Let me join my friends…_

_

* * *

_

Doctor Mindbender was watching Lady Jaye closely, jotting comments on a clipboard. Dusty could see even from across the room that tears were coursing down her cheeks. She moaned and opened her eyes.

She looked confused. "What—?" she whispered.

"Round one is over." Mindbender told her. "Care to tell me about it?"

She looked up at him, eyes glazed. "They're dead. They're all dead. Duke, Shipwreck, Cover Girl, Stalker…Flint…I'm dead, too. Aren't I?"

"Not yet, my dear. It's time for round two."

Dusty felt a wave of guilt wash over him as Mindbender threw the switch again. _Her worst fears…the team dying around her…_ He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sound of her renewed cries of anguish and pain.

* * *

She was on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A small band of Cobra Eels was on a ledge below her. _Wait a minute, _she thought_. This isn't right… I was shot. We were in a battle… _She shook her head to ease the confusion and concentrated on the scene in front of her. 

One of the Eels was holding a remote control device in his hands. "You know the procedure," he told his companions. "We wait for the signal from the other teams and set off the explosions all at once. Then we leave as fast as possible. The shockwaves are going to make this island sink like a stone."

Lady Jaye felt a chill course down her arms. She glanced around, slowly recognizing her surroundings. They were on the Joe's small base on an isolated Hawaiian island. _I can't let them use that remote!_ She told herself. _There_ _are too many people here._ She didn't know why she knew that, but dismissed the nagging concern at the back of her mind. It was time for action.

With a yell of "Yo Joe!" she leapt off the edge of the cliff, dropping the fifteen feet onto one of the Cobra Eels. She felt her knee give way as she rolled off the stunned man's back. Ignoring the pain, she kicked at the man with the remote. It flew out of his hands and over the edge.

They regrouped quickly. Two of them drew knives, circling her warily. She turned with them, trying not to let any of them get behind her. A knife flashed and she twisted just in time. The blade scored along her upper arm, leaving a shallow gash.

She instinctively ducked, and the other knife passed over her head. Unfortunately a boot connected with her shoulder, and she fell on her back. The man she had kicked grabbed her hair and shook her hard. "It's hopeless, you little wretch. With or without our set of charges, this island is going under in about two minutes." He punched her hard in the mouth.

The Eel holding her signaled for his team to depart, and one by one they dropped off the ledge and into the water. He drew his own knife as Lady Jaye struggled dizzily. Placing the blade against the back of her right calf, he casually severed her hamstring. She cried out in pain, shock hitting her system immediately. The Eel stood and gave her a mock salute before stepping off the ledge himself.

She was still conscious when, moments later, distant explosions shook the ground around her. The entire ledge shifted, throwing her into the air. She barely had time to take a breath before hitting the ice-cold water of the Pacific.

Struggle as she might, she just couldn't swim with the injured leg. She sought desperately to get to the surface, but it seemed farther away every moment. Her movement slowed as she ran out of oxygen and her blood drained into the water. With her last thought she prayed for the safety of her teammates. _I hope you all got out in time…Get 'em for me…_

_

* * *

_

Mindbender was pleased. She was responding exactly as he had hoped. Given enough time, he could completely break her.

When she opened her eyes this time, she didn't speak or even look around her. She knew something was wrong, but couldn't pull her mind together enough to think coherently. There was something about Mindbender's lab…She tried to hold on to the thought but it slipped away. She heard someone laughing, heard another voice crying out in anger…But she couldn't focus on it.

She turned her head. A hand was working some sort of controls nearby. She knew it was important…She didn't know why, but she was terrified of that hand. Her fear soared as the hand reached toward a small switch…

"Round Three."

* * *

Lady Jaye looked at the man in front of her. _Round three? What did he mean? _She blinked in confusion. She was sitting at a table in a dim room. She recognized the man seated near her as a spy she had trailed some time ago. He had given her the slip… and apparently she had found him again. _But…_She tried to think. Images of icy waves entered her mind, and she shivered, remembering the chill of surrounding water. _Wasn't I… _She never finished the thought. 

"I am impressed, Ms. Burnett," the man said. "You managed to find me. Of course, I also managed to find you." He leered at her. "Tell me what they know."

Lady Jaye realized she was tied to the chair. Her mind struggled to remember how she'd gotten there. She couldn't answer his questions even if she wanted to. She didn't know.

The spy stood up and considered her silence. "Oh, well. I'm not very good at this," he told her, picking up an object from the table, "But I'm sure I can get the job done." He held a crowbar loosely in his hand.

She swallowed. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. In one swift movement, he brought the metal in a wide arc and down on her shoulder. She whimpered in pain as she heard her collarbone snap.

"What did you tell them?"

She said nothing. He swung again, this time hitting her knee with a sickening crunch. Her stomach lurched.

He repeated the question. She still had no answer for him. He hit her arms, her legs, her back, each time pausing long enough to ask her again.

She didn't know when she began screaming, but the blows didn't stop. The man was past the point of giving her a chance to answer. He just kept swinging, reveling in the pain he was causing. Her voice sounded hoarse and ragged, and she could only continue screaming while her mind begged: _make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…_

_

* * *

_

She came to when a splash of icy water hit her face. She could still feel the dull throb of pain in her limbs. She groaned.

"Still with us?" a voice asked.

She knew that voice…Why? What did it mean to her? She went under again without knowing the answer.

* * *

A man shoved her roughly against the brick wall. She struggled madly, trying to twist out of his grip. _What happened? Am I losing my mind?_ She wondered. _I am in London, being beaten to death by a spy…_

And yet she recognized the man who had her pinned. Torch. One of Cobra's hired mercenaries_. I don't understand…_Her mind reeled.

The thug turned his head to call over his shoulder, "Hey, mates! Looks like we've got entertainment tonight after all!"

He pulled her in front of him and wrenched her hands behind her back. She stopped struggling as she saw the other Dreadnoks approach down the alley.

Ripper laughed and leaned in toward her. "Yeah, hold her just like that," he told his companion. He bent down and kissed her roughly, grabbing at her shirt and squeezing painfully.

She shook her head and tried to dislodge his mouth, only to receive a backhanded slap across the face. Her head rang. _This isn't right… I'm not really here…_ her mind argued.

Another slap to the face jarred her senses. Ripper grabbed her jaw painfully and slammed her head into the wall behind her. She crumpled, barely aware that the three men were still standing above her.

"I don't think she's got much fight left in her," Torch commented.

"Too bad," Buzzer responded. "I always like a little bit of a struggle."

Lady Jaye prayed for the pain to take her under and into oblivion…

* * *

Dusty sat against the back wall of his cage with his head on his knees. His heart felt like it was being wrenched from his chest every time another sob escaped from Mindbender's prisoner. _I'm so sorry, Lady Jaye…_He wondered what she was going through now. 

She seemed to wake up every half hour or so—confused, disoriented, and in pain-- only to have Mindbender flip the switch again. Dusty felt a deep hatred burn through his veins every time the man moved. _How much longer is he going to keep this up? _He wondered_. How long can she keep a grip on her sanity? _Deep down he was afraid of finding out the answer.


	4. Retribution and Remorse

She was too quiet. It worried him. She'd not made a single noise the last time she went under. Dusty worried that Mindbender had finally pushed her too far. It had been—how long? Several hours, surely. Over time, her screams had grown more ragged as her vocal chords buckled under the strain. Still she tried to scream though, mouth opening and closing with hardly a sound. After the first few hours the screams had subsided into pained whimpers and confused questions. She had stopped acknowledging the doctor's presence some time ago.

Dusty was near the breaking point. He had passed through anger and into a calm, all-encompassing rage. He had never felt like this before in his life. His arms and legs quivered under the strain of suppressed movement. His blood felt like ice water.

He had managed to sever a link in the metal chain connecting his wrist shackles. His arms were bloody and he had surely torn something in his shoulder. He didn't feel it.

His eyes followed Mindbender as the man checked Lady Jaye's pulse. He marked something else on his clipboard and motioned to the two Crimson Guards.

They approached the table warily.

"Oh, she's perfectly harmless, I assure you," Mindbender told them. "Put her in the cage and bring me the other Joe."

Dusty's heart leapt in anticipation. They would be opening the door soon. He very carefully put his hands behind his back. He was sure they thought him still shackled.

The guardsmen unbuckled Lady Jaye and pulled her by the arms off the table. She was completely limp, hanging between them without a sign of life. One of the guards let go of her to reach for the keys; the other simply dragged her along the floor like a rag doll.

Dusty tensed. The cell door opened, and the guard motioned for him to exit. He ducked through the opening, keeping his back to the two men.

He struck as soon as their attention was diverted. The guard with the keys never even saw him move. He fell to the floor without a sound, neck broken.

The second guard dropped Lady Jaye and reached for his gun. Too late; Dusty had the first man's pistol in his hands and was already firing.

Doctor Mindbender turned at the sound as the other guard fell. His eyes widened as he regarded Dusty standing before him, pistol raised and at the ready.

"If you shoot me you'll never get out alive," Mindbender stated. "An unescorted Joe walking the hallways won't last for long."

Dusty didn't even listen. He fired the gun, feeling a great sense of satisfaction as the doctor fell to the floor.

He bent over Lady Jaye's inert form. "Hey, Jaye," he whispered. "You in there?" She didn't stir. He reached for her wrist, checking for a pulse. Dusty had just started counting heartbeats when something heavy struck him on the back of the head. He fell across his teammate, unconscious.

* * *

Zartan regarded the people in the room passively. He supposed he should help Mindbender, twisted bastard that he was. The doctor didn't know that he often hid in the shadows of the lab, watching him work. The Commander liked to keep tabs on everyone. He shrugged. Mindbender wouldn't care how much he was spied on if it saved his life. He bent down and picked the man up.

The head of the Dreadnoks returned a short while later to see that the scene in the lab remained unchanged. He felt a moment's pity for the female Joe. He wouldn't ever say anything, but he thought that Mindbender sometimes went too far. And sometimes, like now, it came back to bite him in the ass.

Still, it was too bad that the Joes hadn't managed to escape in the time he was gone. He really shouldn't have hit the other one so hard. Well, at least he could tell the Commander in all honesty that he had stopped Mindbender from being killed. Of course, he could have stepped in before the Joe pulled the trigger…But no one needed to know that.

It was too late for them now, though. Major Bludd was on his way here, having seen Zartan with Mindbender on the way to the infirmary. He had demanded an explanation and was furious that Zartan hadn't called any guards, but Zartan pointed out that the doctor was likely bleeding to death while they argued. Bludd had let him pass, muttering about loyalty.

_And that's his problem_, Zartan reflected. _I'm not loyal to Cobra Commander, and certainly not his idiotic underlings. _He turned at the sound of footsteps. Major Bludd walked in with another pair of Crimson Guardsmen.

Bludd surveyed the room. "Why haven't you secured the prisoners?" He demanded.

"They're not going anywhere," he replied.

"Guards, put the woman in the cage." Bludd examined the various machines scattered throughout the lab. "I understand that our good doctor has a new toy, Zartan. I wonder how well it works?"

Zartan shrugged. "I observed its effect on the female Joe. I doubt she'll recover any time soon." He smiled, refusing to show even a hint of his true feelings. Bludd could sense weakness in another man, and was quick to take advantage of it.

"Well, I'm sure Mindbender won't mind if I take it for a test drive…" He looked down at Dusty, still lying in a heap on the floor. "Hook him up, Zartan."

He considered Bludd's order. "Fine. But I expect to be paid hourly as a technical assistant."

"You'll be paid hourly by not having the hide flayed off of you!" Bludd thundered. "Do it now!"

Zartan obeyed.

* * *

Dusty awoke some time later. He felt an unreasoning grip of panic. Where was he? He tried to move and couldn't. Was he still shackled?

Memories came flooding back in a horrific tide. He struggled to free himself, dreading to confirm his worst suspicions.

He lifted his head as far as he could. Major Bludd was watching him; Zartan stood off to the side, seemingly disinterested. He felt a moment of relief at the absence of Doctor Mindbender. Then the scene snapped into focus.

He was in the lab.

He was on the table.

Bludd was reaching for the switch…

* * *

Dusty was lying on his stomach in the sand. Everything hurt. His eyes felt gritty and bloodshot; his limbs were like lead.

_Why can't I move?_ He asked himself. _Oh, right. The straps on the table…_

But there were no straps. He was alone, in the middle of a desert.

One thought filtered through his addled mind: _water._

He knew if he didn't get water soon, he would die. Getting to his feet was nearly impossible, but he did it. Why was it so important to keep moving? He struggled to remember.

_Someone needs my help. The desert…Cobra…Got to tell the other Joes…_

He lifted a foot and put it down again. He repeated the action. It took all of his concentration just to keep going.

He knew that soon the setting sun would bring him some relief. He knew that every desert had its source of water. He held on to those thoughts as he plodded through the sand.

The desert stretched endlessly around him. He walked in a daze, keeping his eyes low to shut out the worst of the glare.

…He knew it had been hours. It must have been hours. His tracks faded in the distant haze behind him. But the sun was no lower in the sky.

_I…have to…find the Joes…_ he repeated. _Have to…_

He opened his eyes. When had he fallen? It didn't matter. His body was painfully weak. He struggled upright, and took a step. His shadow fell at the same angle as it had all day.

His tongue was thick, and his head throbbed. Lights danced in front of his eyes. He clenched his jaw against the pain and walked.

_I can't fail them…_

He was stumbling now, barely able to lift his feet above the sand's rippled surface. He couldn't remember anything but the walking, and the heat. He checked the sky. The sun was still at its zenith.

He tripped and fell to all fours.

His breathing was ragged, his saliva tasted metallic. He forced his quivering limbs to obey him. _Walk…_ he ordered himself.

He managed another mile, every step agony. His skin was loose and no longer elastic. His ears were ringing. Step. Step.

He fell for the last time. His arms and legs were no longer under his control. He tried to fight it, fight the despair, but it came at him anyway...

* * *

"No!"

Dusty knew it wasn't the first time he'd screamed. He was drenched in sweat, shaking. What had happened to him? His worst enemy, his greatest love, had finally bested him. Soon his body would be nothing but dry bones…

He heard laughter. Not the mad laughter of Doctor Mindbender, but the callous chuckle of someone far deadlier.

Major Bludd grabbed his chin and forced him to look up. "Having a nice time, are we?"

Dusty frowned. Had Bludd found him in the desert? He knew that the heat played tricks on the mind… It couldn't be Bludd. He was alone in the desert. Besides, he was dead.

Bludd chortled. His eyes shone with delight. "I've got to hand it to the good doctor," he commented, "He certainly outdid himself this time. I've seen the men in the dungeons downstairs—have you?" He turned to Zartan, who shook his head.

"You should really go look. Poor wankers. One tried to claw his own eyes out! Imagine!" Bludd guffawed. He watched the Joe on the table for a moment, then, slowly, almost lovingly, he placed his hand on the switch and threw it.

The prisoner started to scream again.

Zartan frowned at Bludd. Granted, Mindbender was the most vile man he'd ever met, but at least he only derived his pleasure from the success of his inventions. Bludd could care less about the method, and not much more about the result. It was the process, the pain that made the man tick. He made Zartan's skin crawl. _I'd like to see you strapped up to that machine, you gloating arrogant bastard_, he threatened silently.

He watched the Joe thrash against his bonds. Then he thought he heard the pitch of his scream change. But it wasn't the captive. It was the alarm. The Joes were at the base.


	5. Angels and Demons

"Flint, this is Wild Bill. We're approaching drop point. Copy?"

The helicopter pilot heard Flint's scratchy reply through his headset. "Affirmative, Wild Bill. Baggage is packed and ready to drop." Bill nodded to himself. All he had to do was get his team close enough to 'chute in. They were going to be doing the hard work today.

He checked his monitors. He knew a Skystriker team was close behind, but they were hoping the lone 'copter could sneak in under radar before the alarm was sounded. The planes were mostly for show in the beginning, anyway; they couldn't drop any bombs on Cobra until Flint's extraction team came back out.

Wild Bill would have sworn there wasn't anything out here. When Breaker had shown them the map, he insisted he and Mainframe had correctly pinpointed the location of Lady Jaye's transmission. But all he could see was sand. Trusting that they had it right, he brought the Tomahawk lower.

He heard the bay doors opening. _Easy does it… Steady…_

He swore as a gust of wind forced the copter almost a hundred feet higher in the air. It buffeted the body and rotors, causing them to thrum and whine.

"What's going on, Wild Bill?" Flint's concerned voice sounded tinny in his ear.

"Hell if I know… Shit. Look at that!" An enormous cloud of sand blocked his view. It shifted strangely, almost… alive. Bill shook his head._ Impossible_.

"It's a no-go, Flint! You can't drop in this!" he shouted.

"I don't think we have a choice," Flint replied. "Lifeline fell out the door when the wind hit. Give us two minutes, then get above this storm. Flint out."

Wild Bill crossed his fingers and began to count.

* * *

The wind was incredible. He'd never felt anything like it. Skydiving wasn't his favorite past-time as it was, and this…this was a nightmare.

He had no idea how long he had been falling, or how high they had been when he fell. He was torn between the desperate urge to pull his 'chute NOW and the knowledge of what the wind would do if he did.

Lifeline closed his eyes and prayed. Then he carefully pulled his ripcord.

The result was chaotic. He was pulled in every direction at once. The wind was singing through the ropes, and the delicate fabric was already starting to tear.

He didn't even see the ground until after he hit. His legs buckled, and he tried to roll.

His 'chute had other ideas. The wind tugged at it, pulling him along the coarse sand. He clawed at the straps, sliding the first clasp loose. He gasped in pain as the pressure increased on the remaining shoulder. Then he was free, watching in relief as his parachute sailed away.

He tucked into a fetal position and waited for the storm to stop.

Some time later, he opened his eyes. He was nearly buried in sand. He didn't mind; it had likely saved him from being scoured.

He stood.

There was no sign of his teammates.

He chose a direction and started to walk.

There were no landmarks to choose from. Something in the distance looked different, though. He headed toward the anomaly, increasing his pace as he neared it.

It appeared to be a shallow pit in the sand. He jumped to the bottom and kneeled to inspect it. Not just a pit. A grate. He lifted it and looked inside.

The medic uncoiled the rope from his pack, securing it to the bars of the grate. But there was nothing to anchor it to. Working quickly, he lowered himself into the hole. As he had hoped, the walls were narrow enough for him to brace himself with his back and feet on opposite sides of the shaft.

The stones felt cold against his back. He had left his jacket at the rim of the hole, knowing that the red fabric could be seen for quite a distance.

He held himself immobile for a minute as he pulled the grate back over the opening. Tugging on the rope, he made sure the bars locked back into place. Easing his legs from the wall, he let the rope take his entire weight. It held; he descended into the gloom.

He emerged, he estimated, about two hundred feet down, into a stone tunnel. He dangled for a moment, scanning the hallways for a sign of Cobra activity. Nothing.

Coiling the end of the rope, he tossed it back into the air shaft. He hoped no one would notice that the lower grate was missing; there was no way for him to reach it now that he was on the floor. The area was directly between two distant lights; barely visible even if you were looking for it. Perfect.

He wanted to be able to find it again, though. Very carefully he scraped a line in the stone closest to the floor with his knife. He knew the escape route was there if he needed it. _I hope my teammates get here and we go out the front door_, he thought_. Much preferable to trying to drag two potentially wounded Joes up through that._

He started jogging down the hallway.

_Where are all the Cobra soldiers? _he wondered some time later. He hadn't so much as glimpsed a blue uniform. He stopped to listen, and immediately chose a hallway to the right. He could swear he heard screams coming from that direction. He made it to the next juncture just as an alarm sounded.

* * *

Major Bludd cursed and brought his fist down on the table. "The Joes are here! Well," he said turning to the door, "I suppose I had best stop playing with Mindbender's toy and ready some of Destro's. Are you coming?" he directed at Zartan.

The mercenary shrugged. "I will if the Commander calls me. I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle." Zartan smiled at the look Budd gave him. God he loved getting a rise out of the man.

Bludd stormed from the room, taking the two guards with him.

Zartan waited to a count of thirty, then began unstrapping the enemy soldier from the table. When he was finished, he secured the extra set of cage keys from their 'secret' hiding place and put them in the lock. He left them dangling there and walked out of the room, looking for the Joes.

He searched the nearby hallways for about fifteen minutes before he glimpsed a flash of furtive movement in a doorway. Zartan turned down the hall and walked slowly toward the door. He paused just even with the opening, and pretended to examine a stone in the wall opposite. He braced against an impact or the feel of a gun, but it never came.

_Come on, Joe_, he silently commanded._ Jump me already!_ He waited. Nothing happened. Somewhat nonplussed, he finally turned toward the door. Pressed as far back into the shadows as the shallow recess would allow stood the Joe medic. _Oh, not HIM_, Zartan cursed.

He sighed, and put his hands in the air. In his best dramatic voice, Zartan cried, "I surrender! I'll show you where the Joe prisoners are! Just don't shoot me!"

The medic they called Lifeline just looked confused. Zartan repeated his entreaty a little louder.

"I am a pacifist," the Joe responded. "I wouldn't shoot you."

Zartan rolled his eyes. He grabbed the medic's wrist and dragged him back down the hallway toward the lab.

* * *

Dusty awoke to darkness and silence. He could barely feel his hands and feet; his head felt light. _So this is it…No angels, no demons, just…silence._ He wondered what would happen next. He wasn't very religious, but was certain that _something_ must happen when you died. All in all, though, he thought that this wasn't too bad. He could finally rest. He didn't have to fight anymore. He didn't have to worry about his mother, or his teammates, or…

He felt a pang of regret when he thought about the people he'd left behind. He pictured his mother's face, worn with worry and pain from her battle with illness. The image wavered and was replaced by another, this one younger, prettier, full of energy.

A small sigh escaped through his lips. She was such a good friend. They'd been through so much together. He had hoped in the future their friendship might become something more…But not now.

_Remember me, and move on, Courtney…_he wished her silently.

He closed his eyes again and stopped thinking of anything.

"How long has he been like this?"

Were those voices? They didn't sound very angelic. Dusty's brain tried to make sense of what it was hearing.

"He was hooked up to the machine for about an hour. The other one… I think it was closer to seven hours."

Ah. That voice, at least, sounded distinctly demonic.

"The other…Oh, my God! Where are the keys?"

"In the lock."

There was a high-pitched screech of metal scraping on stone. Hell, then. He supposed he deserved it.

"Her pulse seems steady. No obvious injuries… What does this machine do?"

Machine? Something about a machine…He struggled to remember.

The demon-voice spoke. "Convinces the brain it's dying. The body experiences the imagery and pain associated with whatever…scenario…the brain digs up from the subconscious."

"Scenario?"

"You know: drowning, fire, bullet wound. Whatever the brain fears."

Heat exhaustion. Snake bite. His mind added.

"And this lasts for seven hours?"

"Well…no. Generally about a half hour."

"Then how-?"

"How many different horrific deaths can your brain conjure, medic?"

"…I see. Why are you helping me?"

"Helping you? I thought I was your hostage."

"Fine. I didn't really expect an answer anyway."

Did demons argue? Maybe the other one was an angel and they were deciding his fate. The voices continued bickering in the background. He tuned them out until a gentle hand touched his forhead.

"Dusty?" a voice whispered.

It was the 'angel.' That was good. Then why was he afraid?

"Dusty!" Louder.

What did it want?

"He's awake, but non-responsive. My team—I hope my team will get here in the next few minutes. Maybe you should…make yourself scarce?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm very good going unnoticed."

The angel and demon stopped speaking.


	6. Rescue

Ace had never piloted a plane in such conditions. Visibility was almost zero. Winds were well above danger level. Communications were nearly impossible through the storm.

He loved it.

His team of Skystrikers had been circling the Cobra base, waiting for word from Flint's team. They should have at least gotten in by now, but nothing below them had changed.

"Come on, guys," he spoke into his head set. "Where are you?" He knew the ground team probably couldn't hear him, but it helped ease his nerves to try.

As suddenly as it had started, the storm died. _That's not natural, _he thought._ Oh, well. Gift horse in the mouth and all that._

He checked on his fellow pilots. "Everyone still with me?"

"Right behind you, Ace,"

"Just waiting for the snakes to show their ugly mugs!"

"Save some for me, man!"

"You glory hogs!"

Stalker, Shipwreck, Footloose, Cover Girl. Everyone accounted for.

Now all they had to do was try to attract some attention…

* * *

Lifeline had placed Dusty and Lady Jaye on the ground, hidden behind boxes of equipment at the back of the lab. He stood at the doorway, waiting for Flint and the others. He peeked around the edge of the door again. Still no Cobra. Unfortunately, still no Joe Team. 

He could have sworn he had heard the sounds of fighting earlier. But the noise had faded away before he could be certain. And he wasn't about to start yelling for any kind of attention.

Zartan had finally gone when Cobra Commander's voice had started screeching at him from his personal comm device. He had regarded Lifeline silently a moment before moving into the hallway. "Remember, Joe—I am NOT your friend. My loyalties do not tie me to Mindbender or Bludd. But I still work for Cobra." He waited for Lifeline's nod of acknowledgement before stepping through the door.

He looked at his watch. They were definitely behind schedule. _Where are you?_ he wondered.

Glancing back at the hidden figures, Lifeline made up his mind. He left the room.

He had a pretty good memory; Zartan had brought him through hallways that were obviously unused barracks. That must mean the fighting was the other way.

It took surprisingly little time to reach what must have been the operations center. Cobra Commander himself sat in a throne-like chair overlooking a bank of monitors.

One screen showed a firefight between a Skystriker and a Rattler. As he watched, the Rattler's wing was torn to pieces and it went down.

A second screen showed Cobra troopers battling hand-to-hand with a small team of Joes. Lifeline let out a sigh of relief. Flint's group had landed and gotten in the base.

He was about to retreat when a snippet of conversation caught his attention.

"…that his device is not worth what I paid for it!" It was the Commander. He stood and walked toward a large machine at the side of the room. "He assured me that it would keep a sandstorm going for two hours! AAAaaaaarrrrrghhh!"

"We're hooking up the next power cell right now, Commander."

"No wonder he sold me the thing so cheaply! It runs through batteries like an eight year old! I hardly even used it and it's out of juice!" The Commander kicked at the metal side of the equipment.

Major Bludd was standing nearby at a control panel. "Well, the storm lasted long enough to cover the hangar bay opening to launch the Rattlers. And the device still had enough power to move the sand over the doors again once they were closed. Perhaps if you hadn't insisted on using it to create that giant--and, might I add, completely unnecessary-- sand wave earlier it would still have enough power to keep up the storm!"

"But Bludd," the Commander crooned, "Wasn't that the best entertainment you've had all week? Watching those two Joes go under like amateur surfers in a hurricane was worth it!"

He kicked the machine again. "If this isn't up and running again in fifteen minutes, I will send it back to Destro in little tiny pieces!"

Bludd sighed. "The secondary battery is almost up and running."

Lifeline looked at the machine, then at the screen, then at the Commander. He was starting to think of an plan.

He ducked into the doorway, keeping a low profile. Cobra Commander and Bludd were focused on the huge screens. Perfect. Keeping to the walls, Lifeline moved around the room until Destro's machine was between him and the room's other occupants.

_Okay, power source, power source…Where would they put it? _Lifeline scanned the array of machinery. He smiled when he spotted a small white sticker sporting a drawing of a stick figure being electrocuted. 'Do not touch!' the sticker read.

_Good thing Destro doesn't have a very high opinion of the Commander's technical abilities_, Lifeline mused.

The set-up looked fairly similar to machines often found in hospitals. The medic hoped it was, anyway. He grabbed a small wire and pulled. There was a small spark and a faint whiff of ozone. _That should do it…_

He was about to turn back the way he came, but the sound of the Commander's Boots made him stay still. He was approaching the side of the machine…If he turned the corner, he would see Lifeline for sure. Of course, if Lifeline went around the other end, he'd run right into Major Bludd.

"Bludd, come here!" The commander screamed. "Why are all these lights off?"

Lifeline heard Bludd approach his leader. Now was the time to escape.

He eased around the far end of the device until he was at the corner of the control panel under the screens. The two enemies were still out of his line of sight.

He crept forward, listening for the sounds of conversation.

"I don't understand, Commander," Bludd's voice wheedled, "We hooked up the second battery just like Destro told us to!" It sounded like they had moved to the rear of the machine where Lifeline had been moments ago.

The medic started forward, then glanced at the bank of controls. One lever stood out from the rest. It was clearly labeled 'hangar doors.'

Lifeline pulled it and ran.

* * *

"Ace! Check it out! Something's happening down there!" Cover Girl's voice sounded in his ear. 

He swung his plane around for a better view. Sure enough, he could see movement on the ground. What had appeared to be nothing but an empty strech of sand was moving, pulling away from itself. It looked like-

"The doors are opening! Wild Bill, that's your signal. Get in there! we'll cover you!"

"Copy, Ace. Just keep the Cobras off my rotors and I'll be down there in a jiffy!"

Ace was swept up into another dogfight. It was hard to keep an eye on the Tomahawk, but ge glanced down every so often to keep up with Bill's progress. As the Rattler he was fighting began to fatally smoke, Ace saw that the helicopter pilot had managed to land in the Cobra hangar. He and Roadblock would be waiting and ready should any Cobra troops appear.

_Now all we need is the rest of the team... Where are they?_ He voiced a silent prayer for his teammates and engaged the next rattler.

Finally there were no Cobra planes left. The sky was empty of the enemy. "Looks like we wiped 'em out. Everyone accounted for?" Ace always dreaded having to ask that question. He held his breath until all of his fellow pilots had answered in the affirmative.

"Good work. We've got one last job to do... Once Wild Bill gets that copter out of there, anyway. Anyone see what's going on down there?"

"Ace! This is Flint! We are on board the Tomahawk and ready to pull out. As soon as we're clear, do your thing." The man's voice sounded strained, but Ace knew now wasn't the time to ask. He'd find out soon enough what had happened.

The Skystrikers circled as the helicopter rose into the air. The hangar below looked to be scattered with Trouble Bubbles, gliders, and Rattlers in various states of disrepair, but empty of Cobra troopers. Ace hoped they hadn't closed off the hangar entirely. It would be nice if the damage wasn't contained...

"Sky team, you know the drill. Let's do it!" Ace yelled into his headset. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he brought the plane around again. The others were strung out behind him, following his every move.

When his sensors told him he was in position, he hit the button that would release the two MK20 Rockeye bombs from the undercarriage of the plane. Behind him, one after another, the other pilots did the same.

Wild Bill confirmed his team's hits with a loud yell. "YEEeeeAAAaaawww... Look at those flames! Cobra's not going to be using that base anymore!"

Cheers of agreement from the other Joes reached his ears. He started to smile-- then remembered why they had come in the first place. The thrill of destroying a Cobra base could not compete with the worry in his gut over his two teammates. He still didn't know how they were doing; he only assumed Flint's team had been successful. _I'm sure they're okay,_ he told himself. _ Let's just get them home... _

He turned his Skystriker one last time to follow the Tomahawk back to base.

* * *

Author's note: 

I didn't really plan on having Lifeline do that--Flint's team was going to set charges or something-- but... everyone always rags on him for being a pacifist. That doesn't mean he can't participate...

And I like writing from different perspectives, ya know?

Yes, yes, yes-- Dusty and Lady Jaye are the focus of upcoming chapters, but I felt I couldn't just have a rescue team show up in one scene and blink they're back at the base in the next scene.

Thanks for all of the reviews, by the way! I appreciate it greatly.


	7. Awakening

A/N: It gets a little touchy-feely in the next coupla chapters… Don't say I didn't warn you. I also have to give a bit of a nod and a wink to some of the other fanfic out there… Some of you have actually made me like Beach Head. I'm still pairing Cover Girl with Dusty, though.

* * *

"I am sure you all mean well, but you're trying my patience! These two need rest and quiet, which they are not getting! I will be happy to call Roadblock and Gung-Ho if my authority isn't enough!"

Cover Girl could tell Lifeline was ready to snap. She didn't blame him. Everyone on base was trying to get into the infirmary to visit their teammates. She peeked around the corner of the room. Beach Head was glaring at Lifeline and looked to be considering knocking the medic on the floor to get past. He had a bundle of flowers gripped in his fist.

"Who is it this time?"

Cover Girl looked across the room at Scarlett. "Uh, Beach Head actually."

"Beach Head?" Scarlett shook her head in amazement.

"And he's got flowers."

"BEACH HEAD?"

"Unless someone is wearing his clothes and face mask, yeah."

"Unbelievable." Scarlett leaned down over Lady Jaye's still form. "Hear that, honey? More flowers." She looked around the room. Every possible space was covered in vases, stuffed animals, and cards. Most of them were for Lady Jaye, but the two girls had made sure that a portion of them surrounded Dusty, too.

Trying to keep her voice light, the red-head continued, "Maybe you should wake up and take a look. Your friends really care about you." She sighed. She had seen no response from her friend since the time she had sat down at her bedside several hours ago.

Lifeline had tried every trick in the book to get a response from his patients. Nothing worked so far. The fact that he had let Cover Girl and Scarlett into the room gave them the impression that the medic felt overwhelmed.

Dusty and Lady Jaye had been back on base for over ten hours.

Lifeline walked into the room carrying the somewhat crumpled flowers. He set them down on one of the few clear spaces left. Then he sat down in the last free chair and put his head in his hands.

Cover Girl walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "You've done everything you can," she told him. "Just give them time."

He shook his head, muttering, "I haven't done enough. There must be something else!"

Cover Girl sighed. She knew he was taking this pretty hard. But she also knew he was the best chance her friends had.

She returned to Dusty's bedside, straightening the sheet as she did so. _Wait a minute. Did he move?_

She leaned closer. She was sure he was mumbling under his breath.

"…water… my kit? …need…"

"Lifeline!" she called. "He's talking!"

The medic rushed to the bedside, taking a quick note of vitals and brain activity. "He's waking up," he told them with a smile.

Dusty sighed and blinked his eyes open. He didn't speak again or look around the room, but it was a start.

"Dusty. Can you hear me?" Lifeline asked him.

No response. "You try," he told Cover Girl.

She took a deep breath and leaned over. It hurt to see her friend like this. "Dusty, it's Cover Girl. Can you hear me? Dusty?"

He blinked, and very slowly turned his eyes toward her.

"No!" he whispered. "Not you too…"

The other three looked at each other. Cover Girl shrugged and tried again. "I'm here, Dusty, and so are Lifeline and Scarlett. Do you need anything?"

"All three of you?" he asked quietly. "How? Did Cobra… the base?"

"We blew up Cobra's base almost fifteen hours ago." She told him. "Do you need some water?"

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"Water? Too late for water… I didn't have my med kit, either… the snake…" He sighed and closed his eyes again.

"He's obviously confused," Lifeline put in. "That's to be expected, after…"

"After what, Lifeline? You still haven't told us what happened to them." Scarlett frowned at the medic. "We can sit here and keep them company as long as you like, but it might help if we knew exactly what Cobra has done to them."

He met their eyes briefly. "I'm not sure I know, exactly. Only what I was—what I overheard." He began checking the IV bags.

"Tell us," demanded Cover Girl. _Could it be that bad?_ she wondered. She looked down at her friend lying under the sheets, hooked up to monitors and an IV.

Lifeline pulled the three chairs together between the two beds. Making sure the door was locked, he gestured for the women to sit, then took the other chair.

"Duke wanted to keep this kind of low-key. The team leaders know, of course, but we decided it was best not to give out too much information to the team. Mindbender had them hooked up to a machine…" he began.

* * *

_Mindbender had them hooked up to a machine. _The medic's words echoed in Flint's head. He, Duke, and Hawk had heard Lifeline's report only a few hours ago. The Warrant Officer had finished his own debriefing first, giving an account of the attack on the base and the success of both missions. _We got them out and we blew up the base in Egypt, _he kept telling himself_. We all did what we set out to do._ Then why did he have a gnawing fear in the pit of his stomach?

_She'll be fine_, he said over and over. _They'll both be fine._

_Mindbender had them hooked up to a machine…_

Flint slammed his fist into the wall and headed toward the infirmary.

He found the door locked when he got there. A bolt of fear shot through his spine. _Why would Lifeline lock the door?_ He fumbled for his keys, glad that his position offered some advantages.

Flint stopped just outside the door. He could hear Lifeline's voice, but no alarms. That was good. Then why…

He heard what Lifeline was saying.

"…couldn't exactly tell Duke and the others that Zartan helped me. But he showed me where they were and helped me get them free. He's the one who told me about Mindbenders machine."

Lifeline paused for a moment before continuing. "I didn't tell them about this next part either. They've got enough to handle, and I'm the only one the information might help. Zartan watched Doctor Mindbender…experiment…on some of the Cobra soldiers. Apparently he's given charge of anyone who upsets the Commander. After he finished with them…they— …well, Zartan said they never showed up again."

"Did they die?" Flint heard Cover Girl ask.

"No. He thinks they were put in the dungeon. Bludd mentioned seeing them there. But… they weren't in very good shape. He didn't give me details, but it sounded pretty bad."

This time it was Scarlett who spoke up. "So our two friends—what?—think that they're dead? What are we supposed to do about that?"

"I don't know, Scarlett. I was hoping having the two of you here might help. And Dusty has certainly seen some improvement. We just have to hope for the best."

Flint breathed deeply and stepped into the room. He tried to sound cheerful, but it sounded false in his ears. "How are they, doc?"

Lifeline jumped and spun around. "I locked the door for a reason. What did you hear?"

"Nothing I need to tell Hawk. I could care less if you danced through the hallways with the Baroness. We need you here taking care of them, not locked up in meeting rooms discussing the division of Cobra loyalties." Flint surveyed the room. There were even more flowers here now then there had been on his first visit. He tried to keep his eyes from the other bed, but he was drawn to her anyway.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there staring before he felt a gentle touch on his arm.

"She's going to be fine. They both will be." He looked down into Scarlett's blue eyes.

Trying to force a smile, he replied, "Of course they will be."

The redhead returned a sad smile of her own. "Hey, Cover Girl and I need a break. Want to take over sentinel duty for a while?"

He hoped his eyes showed his appreciation for the gesture. "Be glad to."

Cover Girl spoke up. "I think I'll stay for a little while, Scarlett. Why don't you go tell the others about Dusty?"

Scarlett nodded and walked out of the room, telling them to be sure to get her if there were any changes.

"What's this about Dusty, Lifeline?" Flint asked, taking the seat closest to Lady Jaye's bed.

"He woke up for a little while. Mumbled something about water." The medic ran his hands through his hair. "Then he stared at the ceiling for a minute and went back to sleep." He looked at Cover Girl and Flint. "Will you two be okay here for a while? I could really use a shower and a nap." He waited for their agreement and left.

Flint spent some time studying his friend's face. She looked different, now. He was used to seeing her in laughter, in anger, in passion… There was nothing there now. It hardly looked like her at all.

He took her hand carefully in his own and remembered fondly the other times he'd held it like this. What had started as playful teasing had only recently become more. His partner, his friend, the only woman who had ever matched wits with him and come out on top, had become his lover.

They had only been together a few times, each episode standing out in his mind like a bonfire in his memories. He knew—he thought—that it couldn't ever be serious between them. Too many differences, too much protocol in the way. But, God, he yearned for her, already reached for her at night when they were apart. And now…

He reached out and carefully drew a finger across her cheekbone. "Alison, honey. It's Dash. I'm here." She didn't stir, but he continued to touch her and murmur comforting sounds.

He knew Cover Girl was watching from the other chair. He didn't care. He suspected she knew exactly how he felt; how helpless they were to do anything for the people they cared about.

A disturbance at the other bed finally caught his attention. Cover Girl was standing over Dusty, who thrashed under the sheets, trying to get up.

He rushed over, helping her to restrain him. Dusty's voice was cracked and dry, but it was understandable. "No! I'm dead! They came for me already! I shouldn't be here!"

"Cover Girl, go get Lifeline. Don't argue. You can't hold him down by yourself."

She ran from the room, looking pale and shaken.

"Dusty! Dusty, it's Flint! You're not dead. You were a prisoner of Cobra, but you're back at the Joe base now." The thrashing subsided somewhat, and Dusty actually looked him in they eyes. His expression was wild, almost feral.

Flint pushed him back on to the bed, keeping eye contact. "Listen to me. You were affected by one of Doctor Mindbender's machines. You're not dead. You can hear me, can't you? You heard Cover Girl talking to you earlier. That wouldn't be possible if you were dead. Do you understand me?"

Dusty's breathing began to slow. Awareness crept back into his gaze. "No. I'm dead. The desert, the snake…they…"

"You did not die in the desert. There was no snake."

"But… I… it… hurt…"

Flint felt a chill run down his arms. "I'm sure it did. But it didn't kill you. You're at the base." He wished he could offer something solid, some proof. But the room in the infirmary was impersonal, the windows dark. On a whim, he picked up the nearest bunch of flowers from Lady Jaye's table. It was a dozen roses held in the arms of a stuffed monkey.

He set them in Dusty's lap. "Look. Smell. That's real. You're here."

Dusty still looked confused, examining the stuffed monkey as though he didn't know what it was.

Lifeline rushed into the room then, followed closely by Cover Girl. He immediately began checking the various devices connected to his patient, directing a few questions at Dusty as he did so.

"Do you know who you are?"

"I'm… I'm not dead?"

"What's your name?"

"Ronald Rudat."

"Good. What's your birthday?"

"October 13."

"Excellent, Ron. Do you know where you are?"

Dusy looked around the room, seeing it all for the first time. He noticed Cover Girl standing nearby, and tentatively reached out a hand to her. She took it immediately and stood beaming down at him.

"I'm at the Joe base."

Lifeline finished his physical examination. "You seem perfectly healthy to me, Ron—apart from a few bruises and abrasions, anyway. Welcome back."

Dusty gave them a weak smile.

Lifeline scooted Flint and Cover Girl farther from the bed for a moment so he could adjust it to a more comfortable angle. He started to ask Dusty another question, but was interrupted by a burst of laughter from his patient.

"What is it?" he asked, alarmed.

Dusty was examining the stuffed monkey in his lap. He looked up at the doctor. "Apparently Shipwreck is in love with me. Are you sure I'm not dead?"


	8. Nightmares

It had been two days since Dusty woke up. He had been prepared for the residual pain from the machine and the very real soreness from his other wounds. He had not expected the nightmares, though.

He loved the desert, every aspect of it. The storms, the heat; he knew its every mood. Even sitting out here, in this little patch of land by the Joe base, felt good.

And yet…

Every time he closed his eyes, he was back there. In the unrelenting heat of an imaginary desert, one that he knew existed only in his mind. He shivered at the memory of the feel of the sun on his arms, the gritty taste in his mouth…knowing that he was going to die. Knowing that he _had_ died.

He loved the desert, and yet fought against it constantly, in every mission in which his skills and knowledge kept his teammates alive.

He finally knew what would happen if his skills and knowledge fell short.

Dusty had taken to keeping his canteen with him where ever he went. Sometimes he felt the panic building up again, straining to take hold of him. He knew it wasn't real… But he felt it just the same. His teammates looked at him a little oddly, but were being, on the whole, very supportive about it. Only a few of them knew what had really happened.

If Courtney hadn't been there for him…

He pushed the thought away. She _was_ there. _And I should be getting back to her_, he told himself. He took one last view across the sand before heading back into the base.

* * *

Flint was ready to kill someone. Fortunately there were no targets in the immediate area. He stalked down the hallway, muttering curses. _If I have to go to one more damn meeting, I swear I will rip the medals off of Hawk's jacket and stuff them down his throat, _he promised silently.

Even an hour away from the infirmary was torture. To have to sit still in a conference room, discussing briefs and reports for three hours, was almost more than he could bear.

But he was finally done, and he could go back to her.

As soon as he turned the hallway corner, he knew that something had happened. Scarlett and Cover Girl were standing outside the infirmary door, looking worried. He began to run.

He pushed past the two women and rushed into Lady Jaye's room.

At first he was relieved to see that she was awake. She'd been unconscious for almost three days now. Then he noticed that Lifeline was struggling with her, trying to get her to lay still.

He moved forward, putting his arms around her, holding her in place. He looked up at Lifeline, frantic. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

The medic was preparing to inject her with something. "She woke up about fifteen minutes ago. She was fine at first—well, calm, anyway—then she started fighting me. Hold her still, please."

Flint stared at the syringe. "What is that?"

"Just a mild sedative. It won't do anything but put her back to sleep." He lifted the gown at the shoulder and administered the shot.

Lady Jaye was staring at Lifeline in horror. Her breathing was fast and shallow; Flint could feel her heart racing under his arms. She struggled against him, straining to get away. Flint's heart felt like it would break.

"Alison, it's okay…Relax, please, you're scaring me."

If she heard, she didn't respond.

After a few moments, her struggling slowed, but the look in her eyes was still one of absolute terror.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't seem to speak.

Flint simply held her, stroking her hair, speaking in her ear. "Hush, honey, it's okay. You're safe now. Shhh… just relax, it's okay now…"

She looked up at him, pleading. Her voice was faint, barely audible. "Why… are you doing this… he… he.. already killed me…once… you're helping… him…"

Flint went rigid with shock. He looked up at Lifeline, wondering if the man had heard. Judging by the look on his face, he had.

"Well, I guess I know one of her nightmares now," he said sadly. "I—I'm going to leave you for a little while… She should be all right now. Do you want me to send one of the girls in?"

Flint shook his head as Lifeline walked out of the room.

Lady Jaye was quieter now. She trembled as he held her. He didn't speak, merely assured her of his presence.

The drug was taking effect. Her breathing slowed, and she began to whisper again in a sleepy voice. He wasn't sure at first she was even talking to him.

"When the Cobra soldiers shot you, I… wanted to die, too. But then the bullets came and it… it hurt so much. Then I was mad at you… you weren't there when the Dreadnoks attacked me, and they… that hurt more than the bullets. You didn't protect me…"

Flint felt tears course down his cheeks as she told him the worst of her nightmarish experiences. He thought his heart was in pain before, but this… He knew there was no way he could have been there for her, even had he been in the same room. He couldn't follow her into the darkest corners of her mind. He felt the guilt just the same.

Her eyes clouded over a moment, remembering. "I think the worst was the fire. None of the pain before or after that…" She shuddered. "And then…Do you remember when Beach Head saved me, when my parachute didn't open? He couldn't get to me, this time."

He tried to imagine feeling his own death, over and over again. It was a subject he normally avoided. How many times had she lived—or not lived—through such horror? Flint could envision some very grisly deaths. He held her closer as she fell asleep.

* * *

Cover Girl watched Dusty walk back toward the buildings. He was struggling to find himself again, and she had tried to be there for him… But some inner demons needed to be faced alone. _But not tonight_, she promised, heading after him.

She followed behind him for a while, watching. Outwardly he was calm, the same Dusty he had always been. She knew he hadn't been sleeping well, though. He looked like Hell. The other Joes chalked it up to his injuries and imprisonment, but she knew what was in his head.

"Hey, stranger," she called.

He turned with a smile, some of the fatigue already leaving him as he caught sight of her. "Hey yourself." Dusty waited for her to catch up, carefully putting an arm around her waist as she neared. He wasn't sure if she was just being friendly, but having her closer helped.

"Going to bed?" Cover Girl asked him.

She saw the guarded expression in his eyes as he answered. "Naw… I'm not really tired. Thought I'd watch some late night TV." He tried to smile.

"Liar." She told him.

He looked surprised. "What-?"

"You haven't been sleeping." She turned to him and looked him in the eye. "Don't deny it. Don't tell me you're fine."

He started to open his mouth, but she interrupted. "And don't you dare give me any of that macho bullshit about not needing any help. You do."

He winced, but nodded. "Yeah. I guess I might."

She considered him a moment. "Did you ask Lifeline about it?"

Dusty shuddered. "I tried the sleeping pills he prescribed me this afternoon." He gave her a wry smile. "Nothing worse than a nightmare you can't wake out of. I think I'd rather not sleep again, ever… for the rest of my life."

"Have you tried having… company around?" She blushed at him.

"You mean like a teddy bear? I don't think--"

She punched him playfully in the shoulder. "I did NOT mean a teddy bear. I meant a real person. Someone to remind you you're not still in Mindbender's lab?"

His eyes widened. "Are you volunteering for the job?"

"Don't get any funny ideas, mister. Yes, I'm volunteering. Unless you want me to get Bazooka… He might do it."

He thought about it a moment. "I think I'd rather have nightmares."

She could tell he was feeling more comfortable as they talked, forgetting about the scenery that lay in his mind. _I hope this is a good idea_, she thought. _Something must help..._

They made it to his quarters without seeing any of their teammates. _He'll never hear the end of it if they see us,_ she mused.

She gave him a few minutes in the bathroom, rooting around for one of his undershirts while he was in there. Then she traded her own clothes for the shirt, took a deep breath, and sat on the end of the bed.

He walked back into the room and saw her immediately. She thought he looked scared for a moment, and her stomach fluttered. Then he smiled and took off his boots, jacket, and pants.

"Right. No funny stuff," he told her, pulling back the sheets. She slid in next to him, putting her arms around him as she did so. It felt very comfortable. She felt him sigh and relax in her embrace.

As much as she wanted to, Cover Girl knew this was not the right circumstance to take the next step in their relationship. So she simply held him, rubbing the back of his neck and whispering for him to sleep.

He did, almost immediately, and she was not far behind.

* * *

Lifeline peeked into Lady Jaye's room before he finished up for the night. He felt terrible that he hadn't realized why she was so scared earlier. _ It is not her fault_, he told himself. _Or yours, either_.

Flint had completely moved onto the bed with Lady Jaye. They were sleeping peacefully, Flint's arms wrapped around her protectively.

He stopped long enough to make sure that the monitors weren't coming loose, then turned off the light and left.

_It's not much use to wish you sweet dreams_, he told her silently, _but that's all I can do now._


	9. What Dreams May Come

Flint was awakened some time in the night when Lady Jaye began tossing and mumbling under her breath. He tensed, trying to keep her still while not making her feel confined.

He could hear only a few words of her low tirade; from the sounds of it, she was reliving the attack of the Dreadnoks. He sighed and pulled away from her, sensing that his presence might make matters worse. Moving to the chair at her bedside, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to shake her awake.

"Alison, honey, wake up. It's just a nightmare," he told her, knowing that it was more than that, it was just as real a memory for her as if it had actually happened.

Her eyes sprang open, and she jerked back from his touch. He knew she didn't see him, that her mind wasn't fully awake. But it still hurt.

"Alison, it's Dash. Can you hear me?"

She turned her head slowly and regarded him, eyes wide. Flint kept speaking to her in calm tones, wondering if he should leave her long enough to get Lifeline. He decided against it for now.

She didn't respond to his questions, but seemed to relax as she became more aware of her surroundings. Flint carefully reached out and put his hand back on her arm. She flinched, but didn't pull away.

Flint gritted his teeth, wishing Mindbender were near enough to beat senseless. It might not help her, but it would make him feel a Hell of a lot better.

He continued to sit with her through the rest of the night. She didn't sleep, merely lay with her eyes open, responding neither to his touch nor his voice. He felt she was lost, trying to find her way through the maze of pain and images Mindbender had constructed in her head. He hoped the sound of his voice might lead her out.

* * *

Dusty awoke with the dawn, conscious of the form next to him in the bed. He turned slightly, taking in her tousled hair and peaceful expression. He felt a deep gratitude toward her-- that she cared enough about him to do this, to be there when he needed her.

He kissed her gently on the forehead, and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled and stretched, snuggling against him under the warm bedclothes. "Sleep well?" she murmured.

"Like I was being held in the arms of an angel," he replied, pulling her closer. He sighed, feeling content and at ease for the first since he had been rescued.

"Courtney, I—I want to tell you how much I appreciate this. I think this is the first time in days I've actually felt alive." He heard her giggle against his chest.

"I mean that in a literal sense," he laughed. "I think my body understood that it was still functioning, but my brain was having a hard time getting wrapped around the idea. Somewhere in the back of my head I thought that all of this wasn't quite real, that it was… I don't know, some kind of purgatory-- that I was only dreaming everything that happened since I woke up."

He shifted a little, putting his arms around her. "You anchored me back to reality. I don't know how long I would have remained adrift, just floating out there, being carried along…" He felt her giggle again. "What?"

"All that boat imagery," she replied. "You sure you don't want to bare your soul to Shipwreck?" She punched him playfully. "I think he likes you…"

He laughed. "You know he wrote that poem for La—" Dusty stopped. Thinking about his friend made his stomach swirl. He hadn't been back to the infirmary since Lifeline had released him.

Courtney sensed his unease. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him. "What is it?"

Dusty just shook his head.

"Something's bothering you. Tell me." She prodded him with a finger. "It's too late to stop confiding in me. Tell."

Dusty couldn't meet her eyes. "Lady Jaye… let herself be captured by Mindbender because of me," he told her. "I tried to make her go, but… she wouldn't leave me behind." He looked at her, trying to make her understand. "She could have escaped! Instead she's lying in the infirmary, and God knows what's going to happen to her!"

Cover Girl put her head on his shoulder. "If she was the type of person to leave a friend behind, she wouldn't be on the team. You've come out of this. She will, too."

Dusty put his knees up and rested his chin on top, arms around his shins. "You don't understand." He felt tears start in the corner of his eyes. "I saw the men Mindbender put in the dungeons." Cover Girl nodded, remembering Lifeline's account of his conversation with Zartan.

"The man in the last cell was beating his head against the wall, pleading for the memories to go away…" Dusty's voice sounded desperate. "I heard her, Courtney…" He put his head down. "I heard her screaming, sobbing, begging for it to stop. …I couldn't do anything…" The last sentence was said in an agonized whisper.

Cover Girl put her arms around her friend's shoulders. "Then we'll help her," she told him. "We'll both be there for her." She climbed out of bed. "Let's go to the infirmary," she suggested.

They found Lady Jaye's room empty. Concerned, they headed to Lifeline's office, where they found him sitting at his desk, staring at his computer screen.

"Lifeline." He looked up at the sound of Cover Girl's voice. "Where's Lady Jaye? Is everything okay?"

He stood and came around the desk. "She woke up last night, and I decided she could leave the infirmary this morning. She's physically fine, and I think lying in bed was doing more harm than good," he told them. Cover Girl got the sense that he wasn't telling them everything.

"How are you, Ron?" Lifeline asked.

He smiled at the doctor. "Actually pretty good," he replied, looking down at his companion. "Thanks to a little help from my friends. Do you know where Jaye is? We wanted to check up on her."

The medic shrugged. "I told Flint to get her some real food, then to take her around the base and let everyone see that she's back on her feet. Everyone's been worried, and maybe if she's around her teammates…" he let the sentence hang.

Cover Girl faced him squarely. "That's not the whole story you're telling us, is it?"

Lifeline leaned back against his desk. "Well…no. Jaye was pretty upset about having to stay in the infirmary. She-- she remembered most of what happened in the lab, and I'm pretty sure there are some unpleasant associations with hospitals buried in her mind. I think one of her memories involved me—uh, doctors working on her." He grimaced. "I thought the continued stress of the environment might keep her from getting better."

He gestured to her unoccupied room. "If you're going to her quarters, why don't you take some of the flowers and things along? Flint already took some over to her room, but there were too many to carry."

They nodded in assent and went to gather the well-wishes.

Dusty was amazed at the sheer volume. He began gathering flowers, glancing at the cards as he did so.

"Wow… Flint, Hawk, Roadblock, Alpine, Bazooka… they all wrote some pretty mushy stuff." He showed one of the cards to Cover Girl. "Just remember I'm here for you no matter the spaces between us," he read. "And there's a quote: '_And all my days are trances, And all my nightly dreams, are where thy dark eye glances, And where thy footstep gleams_.'" Dusty looked up, shaking his head. "That's pretty heavy stuff for Flint."

Cover Girl smiled knowingly. "Oh, I think he's a closet romantic. If you think that's something, check this out: '_What is your substance, whereof are you made, That millions of strange shadows on you tend? Since every one hath, every one, one shade, And you but one, can every shadow lend_.'" She laughed at his puzzled expression. "Shakespeare. One of the sonnets."

"Who quoted THAT?" he asked her.

"Beach Head," she laughed.

Dusty looked amazed. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. And if college served me well, the rest of that particular poem pondered the ideal form of beauty."

"BEACH HEAD?" He laughed incredulously.

"Yeah, that is a little weird," she admitted. "I always wondered why he screams at her so much…"

They gathered as many gifts as they could carry and headed toward Lady Jaye's quarters.

She wasn't there, but the door was unlocked, so they carried their burdens into the room.

"Uh, do you think she'll mind that we're in here?" Dusty asked his friend.

"No, I've been in here often enough. And I sneak in to borrow clothes when she's gone," she replied with a smirk.

Dusty was placing the various cards, flowers, and trinkets on the table to the side of the room. The set-up was the same as all the Joes', but Lady Jaye had added an extra armoire and several bookshelves. He stooped to examine some of the titles.

"Terry Pratchett, Dylan Thomas, Shakespeare, Something in Japanese, something in German, Robert Jordan, Charles DeLint, Diana Gabaldon…does she read all of these?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. And she organizes them by difficulty. That's the 'I've just had a shitty day and need something light' shelf."

He snorted and looked one shelf higher. "Nietzsche, Swami Krishnananda, Chomsky, Kierkegaard, Sarte… What the heck does she call this one?"

"Uh, I think she calls that the 'Why Me?' shelf." She saw his look and simply said, "Don't ask. I 'm not sure I understand, either." Cover Girl finished arranging the last of the flowers.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand, "Let's go find her."

* * *

Lady Jaye felt like she was in a dream. Nothing made sense. Everything around her seemed real enough, but she felt like a ghost walking through the land of the living. Breakfast had tasted like ashes, and she had only been able to swallow a few mouthfuls. The lights in the hallways seemed overly bright and washed out at the edges. Even her footsteps seemed to echo hollowly in the corridors.

Flint kept a firm grip on her hand. At times it felt solid, but more often it felt slicked with blood.

They were walking into the rec room, and suddenly everyone was around her, touching her shoulder, talking in overly cheerful voices. They sounded like they were speaking through a bad connection, or underwater.

She tried not to look at the faces, but couldn't help herself. She saw Stalker first; he had a bullet wound along one side of his head, tearing a jagged gash along his hairline. She jumped back, startled. Her eyes flew around the room.

Footloose was talking to Alpine. Both of them looked charred and raw.

Roadblock was trying to smile through what was left of his mouth.

Shipwreck was standing, and yet… his legs were missing from the knees down.

Everywhere she turned, her teammates were bloody, disfigured… dead.

She turned and fled from the room.


	10. Putting the Pieces Back Together

A/N Yeah, yeah– I spelled everyone's favorite author wrong...I've fixed it (don't tell me you all haven't referenced her; I've noticed some very familiar names in other stories... particularly the ones that take place in the Scottish Highlands! You know who you are).

* * *

Dusty and Cover Girl were headed to the rec room when Lady Jaye came barreling down the hallway toward them. She stopped a moment, hand to her chest, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide and frightened. After barely a pause, she took off again. 

They stood, speechless, unable to move.

Flint came down the hall next, looking nearly as scared. Dusty grabbed his arm and asked what was wrong. Flint pulled free almost desperately, swearing at him, hardly aware of what he was doing.

He made it only a few steps before Cover Girl grabbed him this time, swinging him around to face her. "Flint, damn it! We want to help! What happened?"

His eyes cleared and he focused on his teammates, though they could tell he wanted to do nothing more than run after his friend.

"She hasn't been doing very well today." Flint looked worn and grief-stricken. "I took her to see the others, and... I think it was a bit much for her. She just ran off." He started down the corridor again.

Dusty and Cover Girl followed close behind. "We're coming with you," she told him. At the look he gave her, she continued, "We're her friends, too, Flint. And Dusty might be able to help."

He gave a reluctant nod and continued walking.

They found her just outside of the main aboveground building. She was collapsed against the cinderblock wall, arms wrapped tightly about herself, shaking.

Cover Girl motioned the men to stay back, and approached her warily. She squatted next to her friend, pulling her close in a careful embrace. "Hey, honey. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Lady Jaye just shook her head, refusing to look up.

"We can't help you if we don't know what's going on. Talk to me. Come on, you've got Flint worried out of his mind. He cares about you... We all do. Want to go back inside?"

Lady Jaye only shook her head again.

Cover Girl sighed. She had no idea what to do. She looked back up at the men's worried faces... and had an idea. _I hope Dusty doesn't mind my sharing his secret place with them,_ she thought.

"Let's go for a walk in the desert. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but it might help clear your head."

She pulled Lady Jaye to her feet, and was joined by the two men. They surrounded her, trying to offer what silent comfort they could.

When they reached Dusty's usual meditation spot, Cover Girl sat, gently pulling Lady Jaye down with her and putting an arm around her shoulders. Flint sat on her other side, and Dusty sat near Cover Girl. They remained silent for a while, letting the cool morning air wash over them.

It was a beautiful spot. The desert was still, though certainly not lifeless. They could hear small animals, birds, and insects all around them, and the ground was scattered with small blue flowers. The land was flat nearby, changing subtly to rolling hills and mountains in the distance.

Flint started to speak, but Cover Girl shook her head at him. He frowned at her, but left his thoughts unsaid, moving his arm around Lady Jaye's waist so that she was held between the two of them. She sighed and leaned her head against Flint's arm.

After a few minutes, she began to talk. "The first nightmare... under Mindbender's machine..." she stopped, and Cover Girl gave her an encouraging squeeze. She felt Jaye shudder, but she continued her story. "Cobra killed everyone. All the Joes. It was... bloody. I saw everyone's bodies..."

She turned to Cover Girl. "You, too. It hurt, seeing you all like that. I felt like I'd failed to protect you. Then...I found two teammates still alive." She cast her glance toward Flint, but continued speaking to Cover Girl. Her friend got the sense that this was something Lady Jaye might not be able to tell Flint directly.

"Flint, Duke, and I were surrounded. We had hardly any ammo-- it was hopeless. Duke went down first, shot in the chest. I took a bullet to the hip, and Flint pushed me to the ground. Then he just stood there, trying to protect us with his body, but he..." Her voice broke. This time Flint increased the pressure of his hold, giving her the reassurance of his solid presence.

"He... you... Flint... I can't describe what it felt like, watching you torn to pieces by Cobra fire. The bullets that hit me next were bad, but I think I could have dealt with the pain. But you... everyone else..." she trailed off, but they knew she wasn't done.

"The other nightmares were bad, too– some of them a lot more painful, a lot more terrifying in their own way. But over and over again, I returned to that battlefield. In between dying by fire, being beaten to death, drowning, being tortured... The scene played itself out, again and again. It was different every time. Sometimes worse-- more brutal, more bloody. Once I think cobra had used a bioweapon..." She shuddered again. "Oh, God– the bodies that time..."

"I still see everyone like that. When I was in the rec room... everyone's faces were coated in blood. You're all dead... I can't..." She was crying softly into Flint's shoulder.

Cover Girl often had nightmares like that. But they were only nightmares. To really experience it, carry those memories around... What would it be like? She nudged Dusty. "Tell her what happened to you," she whispered.

He cleared his throat before speaking, trying to keep his tone light. "I think that must be the mother hen aspect peeking out of you," he told her. "I only experienced death in the desert. Heat exhaustion and snakebite. It was... yeah, it was bad. But I never saw anyone else. Guess my nightmares are a little more... solitary."

He shook his head in introspection. "You know, that tells me something. You don't have anything to fear about your own abilities. You don't have any glaring insecurities. Other people hurt you... others' deaths made you feel pain. I only had myself to fail." He gave her a small smile. "Ok, I _was_ starting to feel better today..."

She managed a small laugh, but it was still half a sob. "I know I am sitting here with you. I KNOW that." She tapped the side of her head. "Why can't I understand it? How did you deal with the... numbness?"

Cover Girl blushed and glanced at Dusty. His cheeks were definitely pink. "I had horrible nightmares for two nights. I didn't sleep. I came out here, hoping to find some peace, but it... well, let's just say that sitting in the desert might not have been a great idea. But I thought that if I could face it again, know that I could beat it still..."

"How am I supposed to face the death of everyone I care about?" Lady Jaye asked in a small voice.

Flint finally spoke. "If that ever really happens, you have my permission to completely break down," he told her. "It's something we all worry about. Granted, we haven't all experienced it like you have, but..." he shrugged. "I've had a few mornings when I've secretly counted heads in the mess hall."

"And the rest of it?" she asked. "I feel like a ghost. Insubstantial. Everything sounds strange, tastes strange... I feel like I could pass my hands right through the wall if I wanted to."

Cover Girl caught Dusty's expression, and nodded her assent. She knew what he was going to suggest. "It might help to, uh..." he struggled with the wording. "Find something that makes you feel alive again. I'm not suggesting you go skydiving or anything–" he stopped when he saw her flinch.

"Ugh. Ew. That must have hurt. Sorry. I just mean, you know..." He ran his hands through his hair, and looked to Cover Girl for help.

Cover Girl smiled and leaned over to whisper in Jaye's ear. Her friend's eyes widened, and she glanced at Flint before looking back down at the sand at her feet.

"What?" Flint asked, curious.

Cover Girl just gave him a knowing smile.

Lady Jaye took a deep breath. "Even if I get... better... what happens the next time we fight Cobra? What if I freeze the next time I have to drop out of a plane, or... or have to face off against the Dreaknoks?"

Flint gave her a reassuring smile. "You mean you've never been afraid before? You've jumped out of a plane twice since Beach Head saved you when your parachute didn't open. That took guts. Weren't you terrified then?"

She thought a moment. "Yeah. Scared shitless. But I had to do it, didn't I?" She smiled at her friends. "You've all given me a lot to think about. I... Thanks. Do you mind if I stay out here a little while... alone?" She gave Flint a pleading look.

He nodded and stood. The three of them walked back to the base, leaving her with her thoughts.

* * *

Flint felt slightly adrift. After looking after Jaye for so many days, he didn't quite know what to do with himself. He supposed a visit to the rec room and a round of reassurances was in order. 

Everyone watched him expectantly when he walked in. He regarded them all a moment._ They are her family_, he told himself. _They'll understand. And It might help if they know a little about what she's going through._ _Lord knows what I would have thought if I was in the dark about this._

He walked farther into the room, meeting eyes, telling them silently to gather. When everyone had found places to sit nearby, he began. "You may have noticed Lady Jaye was acting a little...weird earlier," he began. Shipwreck snorted, but fell quiet at Flint's glare.

"Lifeline thought it would be better to leave the details out of Dusty and Jaye's imprisonment, but I disagree. You all know that they were prisoners of Cobra for almost a full day." They nodded, waiting_. Please don't be mad at me for this, Jaye..._ he prayed.

"During that time, Lady Jaye, and to a lesser extent, Dusty, were subjected to one of Mindbender's machines..."

He gave them the information simply, without too much elaboration. He didn't mention the Dreadnoks, but described some of the things she had experienced while hooked up to the machine. When he mentioned falling from the airplane with a bad parachute, Beach Head looked surprised, then thoughtful. He told them that Dusty had 'died' in the desert of dehydration and heat exhaustion, and later from a rattlesnake bite. And then he told them about the defeat of the Joes at the hands of Cobra in Lady Jaye's nightmare.

"She just couldn't see all of you without remembering what that was like," he explained. He tried to emphasize how bad it had been without making them worry too much about her mental state. He wasn't sure about that, yet, but he would do everything in his power to see that she was whole again.

When he was finished, everyone was quiet and thoughtful. "Just... curb your enthusiasm a little bit," he suggested. "She needs the reassurance and support of her friends, but don't push too hard." He tried to give them his trademark grin, but it was more difficult than usual. "She'll be fine, but I just thought it would help you– and her– to know."

Gung-Ho put into words what they were all feeling. "I think any of us would have a hard time dealing with this," he said. "I know if I experienced my greatest fears like that, I'd be a big old heap of blubbering Cajun. Don't worry Flint. She's tougher than this. She'll get through it." He gave Flint a reassuring pat on the back. "Thanks for letting us know."

Flint nodded in grateful acknowledgment. Having one of the meanest, toughest soldiers admit that he would have buckled under the same treatment made him feel better. He didn't like the idea that the team might see her reaction as weakness. He should have known better. They were all good men.

"Thanks, everyone. Oh, and thanks for the cards and things, too– I know she appreciates it." He didn't want to tell them that she probably hadn't even looked at them yet; she would, and when she did, she would see how much she meant to the team.

His stomach rumbled. It was lunch time, and he'd not eaten much the last two days. He decided to get lunch, try to read for a while, and maybe take a much-needed nap. If Lady Jaye hadn't come in by dinner... He would go find her.

* * *

Another A/N: I _think_ the next chapter will be the conclusion... Bear with me. Action! Adventure! Romance! And a little something for the ladies...  



	11. Renewal

A/N: I took the liberty of giving Jaye a nice house in Bethesda, MD. Both close and far enough away from the Vineyard to suit her, I think. Why shouldn't she have a house, anyway? It's sort of assumed that she's rich, though there's not that much solid evidence in the comic/show (aside from reloaded and the fanfic, of course!). God forbid she still live at home. I think I want to anchor her somewhere near DC, anyway, for my own future twisted use (the idea of a house party springs to mind...)

* * *

Flint had awakened refreshed from his nap, feeling more settled than he had in days. The stress had been wearing him down, but he knew he couldn't have done differently. A few days spent looking after his closest friend on base-- who just happened to share his bed on occasion– was worth any amount of lost sleep if it helped her to heal. 

He sighed, not quite ready to get up yet. When she came in from her solitary contemplation in the desert, he knew she would find him. That he was still alone meant that she was still sitting out there. He glanced at the clock. She'd been out there for just about four hours. _I understand that you need to think things through_, he silently told her, _but please don't take too long to come back to me._ _I need you, too._

Closing his eyes again, he pictured her how she had been before her capture, playing snippets of scenes in his mind:

Lady Jaye helping fight off a Cobra attack in the mountains, using one of her javelins in a move that had saved their lives. Her grace and surety of movement, the fluidity with which she pulled the weapon from the pack, extended it to full length, and let fly... It was amazing to watch. The teasing she received about her unconventional weapon was cut dramatically after that incident.

The time she nearly got stuck sneaking in through the back opening of a Cobra base in a series of caves... She had been the only one small enough to fit through the tiny side passage, and she almost hadn't made it. He pictured her, stuck in the hole, legs waving like Winnie the Pooh after a visit to rabbit's house. After listening to an impressive tirade of curses, he and his teammates had stopped laughing long enough to grab her feet and push her through. She had managed to sneak in and disable the defenses on the front entrance, giving the Joes the chance they needed to attack in force.

The way she had held back from the perfect opportunity to utterly embarrass him the first time they had been paired together in hand-to-hand combat practice. They were the 'example pair,' showing various moves as the rest of the class looked on. At one point, he had held her in a bear hug from behind, arms pinned to her sides as Beach Head postulated on the various defenses available to a smaller opponent. Flint had become rather visibly aroused as she had struggled against him, completely unaware of the effects her rear end was having on his front end. When she had finally locked her feet around the back of his knees and jerked his feet out from under him, landing on him in an ungraceful heap, she had started to get up, glancing as she did so at the front of his not-quite-loose-enough cotton work-out bottoms. She had immediately realized his problem, and much to his chagrin had pretended to fall backwards over his stomach, one arm landing strategically over the awkward bulge. She had whispered, "Breathe deep. Think unsexy thoughts," and told Beach Head she had twisted her knee and needed to rest a moment. When she had felt–literally–that his problem had passed, she had gotten to her feet and said her knee felt fine. He had been deeply grateful for the cover-up.

The times she teased him, able to disarm him completely with a smile or a word.

How he had felt when he had nearly lost her to the incompetence of a parachute rigger. Beach Head had managed to save her, but for the few moments she had been freefalling, both parachutes failing to open...

He shuddered at the memory, forcing his mind back to happier times...

The first time he had kissed her, taking her so completely by surprise that she had dropped the can of soda she was carrying. It had exploded all over them both, interrupting the moment but acting as a nice metaphor for the way it had made him feel.

The night, almost a month later, when he had finally gotten up the nerve to approach her quarters when they were both off-duty. She had answered the door wearing loose shorts and a tank top, the book she had been reading held at her side. Flint had stammered something nearly incomprehensible at her, but she had merely smiled coyly and invited him in. He didn't think he had managed one complete sentence the first five minutes he had been in her room, but she saw the way he was looking at her and she knew what was on his mind. Speech had left him completely when she began to undress in front of him, not teasing, but slowly, methodically. She had turned to face him, completely naked, holding his gaze as his heart hammered in his chest. She hadn't said anything, had simply held her hands out to him in invitation. With that gesture she had told him that her body belonged to him, belonged with him, and he had found that he hadn't needed words after all...

The few times since then that he had taken possession of her, the unbearable need he felt as soon as he saw that look in her eyes, and when she touched him...

_And if I keep thinking about it_, he told himself, mind back in the present, _I am going to need another shower. A very cold one._

_

* * *

_

Lady Jaye found Dusty and Cover Girl first, sitting in a corner of the nearly abandoned mess hall. She sat across from them, noting the fact that they were holding hands under the table._ Good for them_, she thought.

"I really need to thank you two," she started. She still felt...disassociated... but it was getting better. She turned to the desert survivalist. "And Dusty, don't you dare feel guilty about what happened to me. After all, maybe if I had done things differently, we could have both escaped and neither of us would have been strapped to that machine. There's just no way to tell. So I won't feel guilty if you won't. Deal?" She held out her hand, and he took it. It felt solid, substantial. The pain was starting to recede. But it wasn't gone yet.

Cover Girl looked at her over the coffee she held in her free hand. "Glad to see you're doing better," she told her friend. "Take my advice and go see Flint."

Lady Jaye gave a small smile in return. "I will. But I have someone else to visit first."

She found Lifeline in his office. He rarely left it, even when his work was done. He looked up at her knock, surprise evident in her features.

"Alison, have a seat," he said. He leaned back, waiting for her to speak.

She took a deep breath. _It wasn't him_, she told herself. _It wasn't him... _She faced him squarely and said what she had come to say. "Lifeline, I'm sorry about the way I treated you earlier. I know the way I reacted to you hurt. You know I'm not crazy about hospitals... that played itself out in my nightmares. You were just a convenient figure for the machine to use. I... I trust you. I hope you know that."

He nodded, obviously relieved to hear it.

"I also know what you did in the Cobra base. That took a lot of courage. If anyone ever teases you about being a pacifist while I'm around, I'll lay them flat. You saved a lot of lives, and without you, Dusty and I might never have gotten out. We owe you so much..." She closed her eyes for a moment, forcefully suppressing the images of her dead teammates that rose in her mind.

"Will you be... okay?" His soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

She nodded and rose from the chair. "I'm not back on my feet yet... but I'm getting there."

She left to find the one other person she needed to see. _I'm not going to be a whole person again without his help_, she admitted to herself. _I've always hated relying on others, but if that machine taught me one thing about myself, it's that I'm not in this alone..._

_

* * *

_

Flint's eyes snapped open when he heard his door handle turn. The door opened just wide enough for Lady Jaye to slip in; she closed it behind her, and he heard the sound of the lock engaging. He sat up, but she came to him, sitting next to him on the bed and wrapping her arms around him. He held her, not speaking, not daring to break the moment. But he had to know.

Flint gently held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes. She still looked scared, hurt, vulnerable, but there was strength and determination there, too– and something else.

She reached out to him, whispering a single word. "Please..."

He shivered, hearing so much in her voice: fear, need, longing. He bent forward and kissed her softly, aware that her most recent 'experience' with this had not been gentle or pleasant. He vowed to overwrite those memories as best he could. Something Lifeline had told him upon Jaye's release from the infirmary rose in his mind, making sense to him now as it hadn't then._ I can't do anything else now... But there are different kinds of healing..._

His every move, every touch, conveyed his feelings, told her that he would love her and protect her as long as he was able. He had never been particularly delicate with her in the past, and he found that this was an entirely new set of experiences for him, at once more arousing and deeply satisfying than it had ever been before. Perhaps because no one had ever needed him this much before.

She held on to him tightly, tense at first, but finally relaxing in his embrace, finding the healing and release she needed in his arms.

Having just had a nap, Flint was not particularly tired. Instead he held Lady Jaye in his arms while she slept, watching as the dark shadows fell from her face and she smiled in her sleep, snuggling closer against his chest with a sigh.

* * *

Two weeks later...

Lady Jaye sat with Flint in the front cab of the convoy rig. The Joes were transporting a new plane to the base, and they were on the lookout for Cobra, as usual. This was her first mission since her escape from Mindbender's lab... not that it was really a mission. Escort duty for the experimental plane was fairly low-key compared to things she'd done in the past.

She thought over her what had happened since then. She and Flint had been granted a week's "medical" leave, and had spent the time at her home in Bethesda, Maryland. He had never been there before– in fact, they had never been on leave together before– and he had been impressed with his surroundings. She had been afraid he might be intimidated by the obvious fact that she was well-off, but he enjoyed the hot tub, and the work-out room, and the library...Well, they had_ both_ enjoyed those rooms, actually...

She had returned to base feeling more herself than she had in a long time. She was slightly nervous about how she would perform in a battle... But Duke had confidence in her. Flint, too– he had suggested she join him for this mission, knowing she would continue to feel insecure until she faced Cobra again. And she was... But not as much as she might have been.

She shook her head. She needed to be alert for any signs of a Cobra attack. They were well guarded and armed, but another pair of eyes never hurt.

She listened to the banter of the other Joes on the back of the truck. Snow Job was fantastically happy with the surrounding snow... Alpine was making fun of Bazooka, as usual... Recondo was sick of the cold... _same old, same old_, she thought. _What would I do without you all..._

Her stomach lurched as she heard the voice over the radio announcing a squad of Snow Serpents ahead. They had barricaded the roadway, and were already beginning to fire._ This is it..._she thought. _The real test..._

They managed to blast through the roadblock, but things turned heavy when the Fangs and Rattlers showed up. She knew she needed to help her friends fend off the attack. Lady Jaye climbed out of the passenger window, leaving Flint to continue driving the giant rig.

"Was it something I said?" He quipped on her way out. She smiled. Always the comic-- on the surface, anyway.

Despite the generous cannon attached to the back of the truck, the Cobra assault was going strong. She took a deep breath, readying herself for her first real battle since... _Block it out, girl_, she told herself. _Concentrate..._

She fired the cannon again and again; she and the other Joes were fighting for all they were worth. Cobra planes and helicopters were falling around them like rain. But the cannon couldn't rotate fast enough to keep up with the circling vehicles. "Oh, what the Hell..." she muttered, climbing out of the cannon.

She grabbed a javelin and cocked back her arm to throw. It was a perfect shot. One more Fang down in flames. She readied another, looking for a good target...

There. The rattler, turning around for another strafing run._ Damned if I'm gonna let you get a shot at my teammates_, she vowed silently. She threw.

Lady Jaye took a moment to cheer when she saw the plane start to smoke. Then she watched in horror as its trajectory became obvious.

"Flint!" She screamed, not knowing if he could hear her inside the rig, "That cabin!"

He stopped the truck with a squeal of tires as the Cobra planes retreated. She was off the truck and running before it had even stopped.

_Oh, God, the cabin is on fire..._ She ran, desperate to help. Two forms lay in the snow outside the small A-frame. She crouched next to a young boy as he sobbed. She caught some of what he was saying, and her heart dropped. "Sally... Where's my sister?"

Lady Jaye stared at the front door of the cabin. Flames were already shooting out of the opening; the air was thick with smoke...

She froze, her mind remembering the smell of her own seared flesh...

His sister was in there...

She didn't even remember making the decision to enter the house. She just ran, trying to block the heat as much as possible with her jacket. It was difficult to see, difficult to breathe... _The flames licked at her hair, began to burn her arms... Her flesh started to smoke; she could see the skin turning black, starting to peel away from muscle..._ _No, damn it! I will NOT give in to the fear!_

The girl was in the kitchen, lying near the table. Lady Jaye scooped her up, but lost the way out in the confusion of smoke and noise around her. She started to panic... Then she heard Flint calling her name. She followed the sound of his voice out into the snowy night...

* * *

A/N: Yup, that's a wrap for this one. Of course, this last bit is from the first season "Eye For an Eye." I needed a good episode to end it with, and that one came immediately to mind.

Hope you liked it– thanks for all of the fantastic reviews, everyone!


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